3 Inches to the Right
by Joknotor
Summary: What if Ty had taken that bullet for Amy instead of Tim? Set during S2 E09 and afterwards, but without the Kit/Ty stuffs. Rated M for language and other things, as always please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**_~Joknotor Corner~_**

 ** _Hey guys! So I've found a new show to get hooked on, a CBC Show called Heartland! Anywho, this story starts during the episode where Tim gets shot by the cow thieves while trying to protect Amy, only instead of Tim getting shot, Ty does. I also kind of switched the episode order so imagine that the whole Wes stealing Spartan thing had already happened just a week or two prior to this fanfic, and there is no Kit/Ty nonsense (Sorry that's what it was). Enjoy!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Heartland, or any of its assets._**

 **Chapter One: 3 Inches of Luck**

Red. It wasn't Amy's favorite color. Never had been. Reminded her too much of blood, and she'd seen enough of that for one lifetime. Life, however, seemed to have a cruel sense of humor, because that was all she could see right now; red, hot, real blood. The only thing that made it worse was where the blood was coming from, and that would be Ty. Everything had happened so fast, she hadn't noticed the man with the gun, or the desperate cries from her father and grandfather to stay back, or Ty calling out to her, right on her heels. However, everything jerked to a halt when she heard the gunshot, and watched, horrified as Ty hit the ground, hard. For the next few seconds, which felt like an equal amount of lifetimes, all Amy's brain could register was red, the red protruding from Ty's chest. Memories of the past few months since his return flooded her mind, their kiss just a few nights prior in the rain, his apparent reluctance to accept her feelings for him and his feelings for her, their other kiss at the cattle drive, his foolhardy bull-riding stunt for which she had berated him, and then back to their first kiss just four months before his return to Heartland. "TY!" Caleb's roar tore through Amy like a bucket of ice cold water as she snapped back to reality, taking a step forward just as Caleb skidded to a halt in front of her, leaning down to see to Ty's injuries, Tim and Jack racing over just behind him to see how they could help, if they could at all. Tim began to apply pressure to the wound, as Caleb stood to make the call for an ambulance, while Jack embraced Amy in a hug, trying to tear her eyes away from Ty, only succeeding in diverting her attention to the trailer full of her dad's cattle that was speeding away. The fading sound of the trailer's engine was replaced by the high-pitched whining of the ambulance's sirens, which grew louder until the paramedics rushed over to where Ty was lying, bleeding out fast. Jack was the one who said he'd ride with them to the hospital, and Tim replaced him in embracing Amy, trying to reassure her as best he could that everything would be okay. "You'll see Amy, Ty will be just fine" Tim said quietly, as though trying to convince himself of the same fact "He'll be fine."

The journey to the hospital was long for Amy, and the entire way she just felt numb. Caleb had gone ahead on his own, right after the ambulance had left, while Tim had stopped by the ranch with Amy to pick up Lou and Mallory. They rode in silence, save for the occasional comment by Mallory asking what had happened. Tim's responses were short and to the point, as he did not want to upset Amy anymore than she already was, and Lou eventually managed to silence Mallory, saying they'd know more when they got to the hospital so asking questions at that point didn't mean a whole lot. Of course, Lou was also bursting with questions, but she kept them to herself for Amy's sake, although she wasn't sure if her little sister was even listening to the conversation going on around her, she seemed like she was a million miles away. Lou's guess was right on the money; all Amy could process right now was the way Ty had jumped in front of her, and the way his limp body had hit the ground with a _THUMP!_ Everything before and after that was lost to her, she jut kept replaying what had happened in her mind over and over again. When he had started to cry, she couldn't remember, but as they pulled into a parking spot outside the hospital, the stinging in her eyes brought her back to reality, and she hopped out of the truck, racing inside a fast as she could, Lou and Mallory following closely behind her, Tim bringing up the rear. Amy stood in the small waiting room for a moment, before racing over to her grandpa who pulled her into a tight hug as she began to shake, crying into Jack's shoulder. "How is he?" Lou asked her grandpa, once Amy had calmed down a little. "He's in the ICU right now, they took him into surgery the moment we arrived, something about a blood transfusion or something like that" Jack replied, barely holding it together himself. "What happened?" Mallory piped up, and Lou nodded at her, turning her own inquisitive stare to her grandfather. "He was shot by the thieves who were stealing my cattle" Tim said from behind them, taking off his hat and running a distressed hand through his hair, as Lou responded "Shot? But why...?" Amy wheeled around, hanging her head, and said "He was trying to protect me. He was shot because of me." Lou didn't say another word, she just pulled her sister into a hug, rubbing her back in an attempt to console her "Amy it wasn't your fault, don't say things like that." Amy was going to protest, when a man in a white coat cleared his throat behind them "Ahem! Are you Mr. Borden's family?" Jack responded to the doctor "Yes we are. Well, the closest thing he's got anyway." Sighing, the man extended his hand "I'm Dr. Graham, please sit down; we need to talk."

"So what's the story Doc?" asked Tim, once they had all sat down. "Well, I have some good news and some bad news" Dr. Graham replied, before continuing "The good news is that we successfully managed to repair the damage that the bullet did to Ty's torso, as it went straight through. He was very lucky to be honest" at their confused looks he clarified "What I mean is that the bullet struck his body 3 inches to the right of his heart, and hit no vital organs on it's way out either, so in that respect he was very, very lucky." Tim, Caleb and Jack sighed in relief, while Lou and Mallory hugged, but it was Amy who asked the next question, in a quiet, shaky voice "And the bad news?" Her question caused the others to tense up slightly, looking at the doctor, and he sighed as he said "He lost a lot of blood. We performed an emergency blood transfusion, but I'm afraid the stress on his heart may have done some permanent damage. We put in a medically induced coma, but his pulse is very weak, and the rest of his body seems to be giving out. The may of course just be temporary, but I'm afraid you need to be prepared for the worst. I am very sorry." Amy slumped in her seat, staring aimlessly at the floor, while Mallory ran out of the room, Caleb taking off after her, as Lou, Jack and Tim hung their heads sadly, unable to say anything. Once again, however, Amy piped up, and asked "Can I see him?" Dr. Graham eyed Amy over, debating in his mind, then eventually sighed and said "I'll let you see him, but ONLY you. I don't want to put any unnecessary stress on Ty if he does wake up."

Amy walked slowly to the room they had put Ty in, trying to mentally prepare herself for what she would see, but as she rounded to corner which led to the room he was lying in, Amy felt her knees give way, and it took all her strength not to fall over right there. Gripping the wall for support, Amy walked to the doorway, and felt more tears well up in her eyes again as she saw him, unconscious, hooked up to multiple IVs and monitors, his skin pale as snow, his staggered breathing clouding up the mask that was placed over his nose and mouth. Gathering up what was left of her strength, Amy walked over to the chair next to his bed, and sat down, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in, gripping his hand tightly in hers, tears flowing freely down her face. Nurses came in for the next few hours periodically to check on hiJm, giving Amy sympathetic looks and small words of encouragement, although they fell on deaf ears. In fact, Amy was all but dead to the world, her mind swirling with memories, both good and bad, of her time with Ty. Her rocky relationship with the boy in the loft was something she often thought about, but usually she just put it in the back of her mind, electing to focus on other distractions such as school and new horses that needed her help at Heartland. This time, however, her mind brought everything she had suppressed for so long to the forefront, and she remembered many different things, all at once. She remembered the day Ty had shown her the jumping course he had made just for her, and Amy had stopped and wondered if there might be more to him than just a bad boy exterior. She remembered their first kiss, and his sudden departure, the pain and betrayal she felt because of it. She remembered his return 4 months later, how angry she had been, yet somehow how relieved she was that he was alive and mostly well, save for the bumps and bruises. She remembered their kiss at the cattle drive, and the sadness she had felt that he still didn't respond how she needed him to. She came to their most recent kiss, the one in the rain the night after Ty's dad took off with the money, how Ty's inability to just take a chance had frustrated her to no end. She settled on his words the night after they had returned from trying to save Spartan from Wes, when he had said "I'd do anything for you." Those words stuck in Amy's head like an ugly neon sign reminding her that this was all her fault. If she had just listened to Ty in the woods, and hadn't tried to run after her father, maybe, just maybe, Ty wouldn't be here in the hospital, on the verge of life and death. The fresh wave of guilt sparked another set of tears to find their way into Amy's eyes. She picked up Ty's hand, placing a kiss on the back of it before saying quietly "I'm so sorry Ty. I never wanted you to get hurt. Please...please don't die. I can't lose you now...please." With that Amy leaned back in the chair and cried softly until she fell asleep.

Jack had left early from Heartland that morning, though if he was honest he hadn't slept hardly at all that night, worrying about Ty. As he walked down the corridor to Ty's room (he had spoken with Dr. Graham and had been informed it was alright for him to visit for a while), Jack stopped and listened to what could only be Amy crying. He poked his head in the doorway and his heart broke when he saw the state Ty was in, from his pale face to Amy's tear-stained face, eyes puffy from the excessive amount of crying she'd done since Ty had been shot. Jack quietly walked into the room, placing a gentle hand on Amy's shoulder, to which she jumped at, having not heard him come in, but stood up when she saw who it was, embracing her grandfather in a tight hug. If she had any energy left to cry, Amy would have, but all she could do was lean into Jack's arms and say quietly "It's all my fault grandpa. All my fault." Jack placed a hand on the back of Amy's head, trying to comfort her, saying "Now don't you even think that. What happened to Ty is NOT your fault. He'll be fine, just you wait and see." Amy, however, remained unconvinced, and her mind kept replaying Ty's words over and over again "I'd do anything for you." Scrunching her face in pain, Amy clutched at her chest, as it felt like someone had put her heart in a blender and just kept it running. Jack caught on to this, and sighed, hugging her tighter and saying "Come on, let's let Ty get some sleep. Besides, you gotta go to school tomorrow, and it looks like you need some rest too." Amy looked up suddenly, and was about to argue but Jack cut her off by saying "Now don't try and argue, Ty wouldn't want you to miss school on his account. Your studies are too important to abandon now, and he would say the same thing" Jack finished, waving a hand towards Ty. Sighing wearily, Amy caved in, replying "Alright, fine. But I can still visit him after school right? I wanna be here when he wakes up." Smiling softly, Jack placed a kiss on Amy's forehead, and said "Of course you can. Now come on, let's go. You need to eat something as well, and Lou's worried sick about ya."

Food was the last thing on Amy's mind as Jack's truck rolled into the driveway at Heartland, and the young horse whisperer found herself staring blankly at the loft where Ty lived, half expecting the big barn door to swing open and for his smiling face to be there staring back at her. That wasn't going to happen this time though, and Amy just got out of the truck and walked into the house, her whole body numb and unfeeling. Lou tried to sit her down to eat, but Amy just said that she wasn't hungry and wanted to get some rest. She flopped down on her bed and closed her eyes, but her sleep was constantly interrupted, and she gave up about 5 hours later, putting on her boots and walking out to the barn, stopping at Harley's stall to pet Ty's horse, a horse he had initially bought Amy to help take her mind off of Spartan. A gesture at the time she thought was inconsiderate and wrong, but that she now thoroughly understood, and she wished more than anything she could take back the harsh words she gave him when he presented Harley to her. She was following this guilt-ridden train of thought when she was brought back to the horrifying events the day before. The sound of the rifle, Ty's body in front of her, the red blood that had been spilled in her defense, because of her actions. Why hadn't she just stayed in the forest like Ty had asked, no begged her to? If she had only listened, she'd probably be sitting here with Ty right now, cracking jokes or talking about the horses. She had finally begun to warm up to Ty again, to let him back in (despite Caleb's best efforts), and now she might have ruined it all. She knew the odds, and she wasn't much of a gambler but she knew it would take a miracle to help Ty recover from such a serious injury. Tacking up Harley, Amy decided she needed some fresh air, and rode out into the forest, taking in the fresh country air and clearing her mind as best she could, letting Harley guide them through the trees until they came to a familiar clearing. Amy froze, dismounting slowly as Harley sniffed around, finding his way to the spot where Ty had been shot, the blood still fresh on the ground. Amy came over to where the horse was, patting his neck and saying "You can smell him huh, can't you boy?" Amy looked down at the blood-stained earth, and she broke down, slamming her fist into the dirt in frustration, cursing herself for being so blasted foolish. She sat there for hours, crying and screaming out, trying desperately to find some reason, some justification that after coming so far why Ty had to have been taken down so harshly, so cruelly. Eventually she calmed down, once again mounting Harley and riding back to Heartland, putting the tired horse back in his stall before walking slowly up to the loft, Ty's loft, the place where he had lived for nearly 2 years now. She had only been up to the loft a few times, and the last time had been just after Ty had returned from his 4 month absence, and once again all she had done was criticize and berate him, instead of try to understand why he had left. Sighing softly, she turned out the light and walked back to the house, as it was dark now. She made some excuse about missing dinner to Lou, who could only stare after her little sister, concerned at how Amy seemed to be dealing with Ty's current state. Amy crawled into bed, and suffered a series of recurring nightmares, each one replaying the incident over and over and over again, each time jolting her awake, sweat covering her entire body. The final time she woke suddenly she cried out "TY!" her arm outstretched, as if reaching out to him somehow. She checked the clock, it was 6:30. Sighing, Amy climbed out of bed to get ready for school.

Toast was the only thing Amy could manage to stomach for breakfast, and soon she found herself on the bus, her best friend Soraya trying to comfort her as best she could, having received the news about Ty from Lou the night before. The entire day seemed to go on around Amy like a blur, and all day her thoughts lay with the boy in the loft, and his pale face, the IVs hooked up to him for life support, then to the ground where his blood had been spilled. Once she got home, she quickly grabbed the keys to Ty's truck, and sped over to the hospital, where she stayed as long as she could, gripping his hand and muttering to him, as if trying to wake him. She left at around 8 o'clock, and ignored her sister's pleas to eat something when she got home, going straight to her room without saying a word. She continued this routine for the next week and a half, barely eating or sleeping, and spending most of her free time by Ty's bedside, brooding over the shooting and ignoring everything else going on around her. She was so desperate for him to wake up, to look into his mesmerizing green eyes, to tell him she was sorry, for everything, and just how much she truly cared or him, not just as friends but as more than that. She wanted more than anything for him to hold her in his arms, and to kiss him again, let him know that she would always be there for him, just as he was always there for her. It was with this thought that Amy fell asleep the following Friday, her head resting next to his hand on the bed, the sound of machines and his breathing the only noises around her.

Ty awoke suddenly, breathing hard, but was confused by what he saw. He was alone in a field, the same field where they had seen the cow thieves, the gun pointed at Tim and Jack, where Amy had foolishly run out towards her father and grandfather, Ty hot on her tail, trying to stop her, especially with the gun now pointed right at her. He had finally reached her when he saw the look in the man's eyes, and knew what he was planning to do. Feeling the adrenaline rush through him, Ty dived, feeling something hit him in the chest just before he had passed out in the grass. Ty instinctively clutched his chest, then regretted it as he felt a sharp pain course through him. Looking around, Ty realized how dark it was, and how cold he felt. Climbing to his feet, he wandered aimlessly through the forest, trying to figure out the best way back to Heartland, to Amy. He couldn't explain it, but he just knew he had to see her, to make sure she was okay. Suddenly, he heard her voice calling through the forest, like an echo. He couldn't make out what she was saying, but whatever it was, she sounded sad, in pain, much like she had the night he tried to explain to her why he had left Heartland for 4 months, without even calling. He grimaced as he thought of all the times he had hurt her, whether physically or just by being unable to talk to her openly, too afraid of how she might react. He thought of his dad, and how even though Ty had sworn he'd never turn out like him, he had managed to follow in his old man's footsteps anyway, leaving in the middle of the night without any reason, abandoning the woman he loved. Yes, he did love Amy, very much, and the idea that maybe she didn't share his feelings is what tore him apart, prevented him from getting too close to her. Ty kept moving through the trees, until he came to the edge of the forest, to where Heartland was. What he saw turned his blood cold. A small gathering of people were gathered just outside the barn, and Jack stood at the head, holding a jar, with what seemed to be a portrait perched on a stand behind him. As Ty got closer, he immediately recognized the person in the picture, the shaggy hair, the green eyes. Ty froze as he realized it was him, and tried hard to figure out what Jack was saying, but the older man's lips made no sound as they moved. Looking around, Ty's heart beat like a drum in his ears when he saw Caleb and Amy, how close to each other they were, how they were holding hands, how she was resting her head on his shoulder. He fell to his knees as it all hit him; this was his funeral. The jar held his ashes, and as Jack spread them to the wind he realized that he was actually dead, that he had died trying to save Amy. As if someone had hit the unmute button, Ty suddenly heard Ashley and Soraya whispering to each other, with Soraya saying "It's a real shame about Ty, he seemed to be a decent enough guy. But maybe it's best he's gone; at least now Amy won't be tossed around like an emotional rag doll all the time." Ashely smiled bitterly, and responded "Yeah, Caleb's a good man, and he'll take care of Amy like Ty couldn't." Soraya nodded slowly, and replied "Exactly. Not only that, Caleb won't hold Amy back, she'll be able to grow with Caleb." Their words hit Ty like a ton of bricks, but the final blow came when Tim looked down and saw him sitting there, shattered at their words, and said "Great, you're here. Look, why don't you just leave and not come back, huh? You're only going to hold Amy back, and besides she's happy with Caleb. Now clear off, will ya? And don't come back." The world began to go black, and just as the darkness threatened to take over completely, Ty saw Amy and Caleb, smiling at each other, and Amy lean in to kiss him. Pitch black nothingness enveloped Ty, and he curled into a ball for what felt like forever. He didn't notice the small tunnel of light until it shone directly on his face, and as he looked up he saw the last thing he expected to see: Pegasus, Marion's horse, standing before him. His confused look was answered by a female voice, who said kindly "He was worried about you. Can't blame him either, sounds like you've been through quite the personal hell so far kid." Ty whirled around to see who had spoken, and his jaw dropped when he saw her, Marion Fleming; Amy and Lou's mom, the reason he had come to Heartland. "Come on now Ty, it's rude to stare" Marion laughed "Besides, you and I have a lot to talk about, come with me." Without another word, Ty followed her as she led Pegasus into the tunnel of light, towards something that felt warm, not the cold that was behind him.

Amy jerked awake when she felt someone patting her on the back, and rubbed her eyes when she realized it was Lou. "Amy, come on, you need to get something to eat. You can't keep going like you've been going, you're going to burn out." Amy stared back at her defiantly "I'm not leaving. It's my fault he's stuck like this, the least I can do is say here with him." Lou sighed, clearly irritated, and was about to respond when the sound of Ty coughing cause both girls to look at the injured young man. Ty reached up and pulled off the oxygen mask, coughing slightly before opening his eyes and staring at Amy "A-Amy?" He said hoarsely, and Amy began to cry out of joy, burying her face in his shoulder and saying "Thank god" quietly, over and over again. Lou smiled, saying to Ty "Hey, how do you feel?" Ty licked his lips, and said "Like hell. And thirsty. Very thirsty." Lou laughed softly as she rushed over and handed him a glass of water. He drank it gratefully, before turning his attention to the blonde that attached herself firmly to his shoulder. He patted the back of her head softly, hugging her closer and whispering "Hey, what's with the tears? I'm okay Amy, I'm okay." Amy merely nodded her head, sitting up as he once again looked at Lou "How long was I out?" Lou looked at Amy, then back at Ty "About 2 weeks now. Amy's been here every day, making sure you were looked after." Ty glanced at Amy and grinned, as she smiled sheepishly, however as he tried to sit up further he grimaced in pain, clutching at his chest. "You need to stay still, that bullet did a lot of damage, and you lost quite a bit of blood" Lou said, gently pushing him back onto the bed, his face contorting from the sudden pain he felt. "I'll go get Dr. Graham, you stay put" Lou said as she left the room. Ty breathed in and out slowly, trying to relax, as Amy watched quietly, muttering "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Ty looked at her quickly, and started "Amy, you're not-!" but by that time Amy had stood up abruptly, rushing out of the room, saying "Yes I am!" Ty looked after her, a worried expression on his face. However, realizing he could do nothing in his current state, he just leaned back, smacking his forehead and saying to no one in particular "Great. This'll be an awesome one to fix."

 _ **Whooo! Tense chapter huh? Don't worry, there'll be plenty of Tamy to go around, just give it another chapter! As always, please review if you enjoyed! Until next time!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**~Joknotor Corner~**_

 ** _Wazzah! So, I was so excited about this story that I just had to start work on Chapter Two right away! Hope you enjoyed Chapter One, it's like the longest Fanfic chaper I've ever written, there was just so much I wanted to say! Anyway, here's the next installment in the 3 Inches to the Right series, please enjoy and review! I love feedback!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Heartland, or any of its assets._**

 **Chapter Two: Return to Heartland...Again**

Ty's recovery was a slow and painful process, and he struggled to get back into a comfortable place that wasn't riddled with aches and pains. It didn't help that after that first day, Amy hadn't shown up once to see him at the hospital, and while he appreciated Jack and Lou and even Mallory's words of encouragement, the person he longed to see was the blonde he had come to rely upon for support and guidance. He was still haunted by his dream, the one in which he had witnessed his own funeral, and the cold words spoken by Soraya, Ashley and Tim, which had shattered his resolve, making him think he truly was nothing but a burden on Amy. Her absence during the month it took him to finally get back on his feet caused him a great deal of distress, as all he wanted to do was embrace her and not let go. He had taken that bullet for her, and would do so again in a heartbeat, but he wondered if maybe by doing so he had finally managed to cut her off completely, if she could forgive him for nearly abandoning her, again. It was these thoughts that always occupied his attention, and though he wished he could, he was never able to share them with the others, as he knew all they would do was try to convince him otherwise. "I'm such an idiot" Ty thought to himself on night, alone in his room "I could have made her mine, showed her I'm not a total waste of space. But all I did was push her away, and now I've gone and ruined any chance I had at winning her back. Perfect." As he fell asleep that night, his mind again wandered back to that night in the rain, when he had pushed her away, and the hurt look in her eyes, the way she had left him standing there, probably for good.

Amy hadn't been back since Ty had woken up, and guilt had begun to settle in her stomach, and was now hanging over her head like a storm cloud, one that was clearly showing through her attitude. Everyone had avoided talking to her for as long as they could, for fear of upsetting the emotional teen, but it was getting to a breaking point, and Jack decided it was his duty to try and get through to her. He chose his moment carefully, and approached her one night when she was alone in the barn, reading through her mother's journals, knocking on the door and saying "Got a minute?" Amy glanced up at her grandfather, smiling slightly, placing the journal down before replying "Sure grandpa, what's up?" Jack sat down opposite her at the desk, sighing before saying "Is everything alright Amy? I noticed you haven't visited Ty at all this past month, not since he woke up anyway. And from what I understand from Lou, you didn't exactly leave on the best of terms." Amy looked down in her lap, a fresh wave of guilt pressing down on her, responding to her grandfather in a quiet voice "...I can't see him grandpa. I just can't." Jack looked at her, concern in his eyes, and replied "Well why on earth not?" Amy remained quiet for a few seconds, then said, in a choked voice "Because it's my fault. If I had just stayed the forest like Ty told me, I wouldn't run into that field, that man wouldn't have aimed his gun at me, Ty wouldn't have jumped in front of me..." Amy trailed off as she began to cry, sniffling as Jack got up and pulled her into a hug "Come on now Amy, you know that isn't true. What happened isn't anyone's fault, it was just a case of bad luck. No one could have predicted what would happen, and Ty did what any one of us would have done. And he did it for you Amy, so you would be safe." His words hit Amy like a freight train, a she realized he was half right, he HAD done it for her. Even after all the rejections and cold shoulders she had dished out, Ty had still done something totally selfless, all for her sake. This, of course, only added to the guilt she felt, although she refrained from sharing that with her grandfather. Instead she chose to just go to bed, and try to sleep it off, despite the recurring nightmare she'd been having since the incident.

5 weeks after Ty had been shot, the Dr. Graham gave him a clean bill of health, and said he could be discharged the next day, provided he did nothing but rest for at least a week after he got home, and then slowly start to get back into his normal routine. Ty had begrudgingly accepted the terms of his release, as he was sick and tired of just lying around doing nothing, but as he lay in bed that night, his mind wandered back to Amy, and how he wished for nothing more than to just talk to her, to find out why she had been avoiding him. He sighed, and drifted off to a restless sleep, trying his hardest to put his memories out his head. He failed miserably, but the thought of at least getting to see Amy again managed to get him through the night. In the morning it was Jack who came to pick up Ty, much to the battered young man's disappointment, and slowly he got out of bed, groaning slightly at the movement, but managed to sit down into the wheelchair, and as they were leaving Dr. Graham stopped them, looking first at Ty, then at Jack, saying "Now Mr. Borden, I want you to remember to take it EASY, no unnecessary movements or strenuous exercises for a full week, and take it SLOWLY after that. If you don't the wound might reopen, and that wouldn't be good for anybody." Jack smiled at the doctor and shook his hand, saying "Don't worry, I'll make sure he does NOTHING but R&R until he can get back on his feet." Ty just sat there, feeling rather dejected, but nonetheless shook the doctor's hand, and said "Thanks for all you've done Dr. Graham. I promise I'll take it easy." After one last nod at the pair, the doctor walked off, and Jack steered Ty out of the hospital, where Lou was waiting for them by the truck. Carefully, Lou and Jack helped Ty up into the truck, tossing the now folded wheelchair into the back of the pickup. The drive back to Heartland was relatively quiet until Ty asked "So how's Amy doing? She okay?" Jack hesitated, and Lou answered slowly "She's alright. She's been busy with school and the horses so she hasn't had the time really to visit." Ty just looked out the front window, and contemplated his answer, finally settling on a very depressed "Oh." Jack looked grimly at the road ahead, choosing his words carefully. "Well, I'm sure Amy'll be glad that you're home" he said, trying to reassure Ty, though he was unsure as to how Amy would respond to Ty's return. It seemed to him ironic, here Ty was, coming back to Heartland, again, after a long absence, with little guarantee that he would be coming back at all. It had hit Amy hard when Ty had disappeared for 4 months, with no word to even confirm if he was alive or dead. At least this time they had the odds at the start, but that didn't make it any less traumatic for the 16 year old horse whisperer. Sighing slightly, Jack wondered just what might happen between Ty and Amy in the days to come as they came over the hill that led to Heartland's driveway. Ty took a deep breath, shuffling out of the car on onto the wheelchair, taking in the breathtaking view of what he had come to know as home.

"Well, I figured that since the loft's kind of a hike considering you're supposed to be taking it easy, Mallory can bunk with Amy until you've rested up, and you can take Marion's old room" Jack said, as he led Ty down the hall to the room where he'd be staying for the next few weeks. Upon entering, Ty was surprised to see that a lot of his things fro the loft, posters, clothes. stereos, even his guitar, were already waiting for him. He turned quizzically to Jack, who chuckled slightly before replying "Lou thought having your stuff here might help you feel more comfortable, more at home. She got Mallory to help her, but I think it was Amy who said having your guitar would be the finishing touch." Ty sighed at this, looking around before asking "So, where is Amy?" Jack tried not to hesitate, but ended up doing so before responding in his most upbeat voice "Oh...uh...I think she's out with the horses. She'll be in for dinner later though, I'm sure." Ty just nodded, and, with some effort, climbed into bed, looking at the ceiling and saying "Well, I think I'll get some rest before dinner. Thanks for driving me back Jack, sorry for all the crap you've had to put up the past 5 weeks." Jack would have responded, but chose not to when he saw Ty turn on his side, away from the doorway. Dropping his head sadly, Jack closed the door, muttering "It's no trouble Ty, honestly." Ty just stared at the nearest wall blankly, trying not to think about Amy, or the fact that she was clearly avoiding him. It was just like that night a few months ago when he had shown up at Heartland with Jack out of the blue, and Amy had simply given hi the cold shoulder. Ty closed his eyes, letting a few low sobs out as he pined over how badly he had hurt the girl he cared for so dearly, how he had done nothing but cause her to suffer. At that moment, he realized for the first time that maybe it would have been better if he'd died from that gunshot, and left Amy in peace. Unbeknownst to him, however, Amy was on the other side of the door, gong through a personal battle to try and figure out whether or not she should go in, see him, apologize for abandoning him that night and not returning to visit. She finally reached a decision, and walked away silently, thinking that she'd go for a ride, skip dinner altogether. She wasn't ready to face Ty yet.

"Thanks for the meal Lou" Ty said flatly, handing her his dish so she could take it into the kitchen. Smiling sympathetically at him, Lou placed a hand on his shoulder when she saw him staring at Amy's empty seat, saying "I'm sure she just lost track of time when she let for her ride, she should be back any moment." Tim, who had, for once, remained quiet all throughout the evening meal, said "Yeah, she'll be back. She's probably just trying to gather her thoughts or something." Caleb looked nervously at Ty, then at Amy's chair, which was right beside him, but chose not to say anything, instead taking another sip of his lemonade. Jack cleared his throat, and quickly said something about helping Lou, to whom he said in a low voice "Where the hell is she, Lou? She should've been back from her ride hours ago!" Lou sighed, looking at her grandfather and saying "I don't know grandpa, but I bet you it has something to do with avoiding Ty. Besides, maybe it's a good thing" at Jack's confused look, she continued "I mean look at the state he's in! She already blames herself for the shooting, and seeing him in a wheelchair and as thin as he is right now, she'd probably have a nervous breakdown right on the spot." For once, Jack didn't argue, he just returned to the dining room and realized Ty had left. "He went to his room, said something about needing to get some rest" Caleb clarified, as he looked at the old man. Jack just looked down at the floor, saying "Guess I better turn in too. Make sure Amy eats something Lou, whenever she decides to get back." Lou nodded at Jack, and replied "I will grandpa, don't worry."

Amy finally came in 2 hours later, trying her best to sneak through the front door, only to nearly jump out of her skin when Lou turned on the kitchen light and said "Nice of you to show up." Amy composed herself before replying "Um, sorry about dinner, Lou. I was, uh, out riding and had some last minute homework I wanted to get done." Lou gave her the 'I'm-not-buying-it' look, and said "Oh really? You wouldn't happened to have been avoiding Ty now, would you?" Amy didn't respond, just looking at the nearest wall, avoiding eye contact with her sister. Lou sighed, already knowing the answer, and said "Well, there's food in the oven for you keeping warm. Turn out the light when you go to bed. Night Amy." "Night Lou" Amy responded in a quiet voice. Taking her dinner out of the oven, Amy sat down, thinking once again of the boy in the loft, how pale he had been in the hospital bed, the blood on the ground where it had happened. She shook these thoughts from her mind, finishing her dinner and quietly going to bed, setting her alarm for early, so she wouldn't have to see Ty the following morning. As she fell asleep, for the first time in over a month, she had pleasant dreams, ones of the good times she and Ty had had together.

For the next week, Amy made herself scarce at Heartland, avoiding the evening meals, having breakfast earlier than everyone else, going for extremely long trail rides on Spartan during her free time, and doing her chores either extremely early or extremely late. It was her way of coping, of dealing with the guilt she felt, but to Ty, it was like a blow to the stomach. He couldn't figure out why Amy was avoiding him, when all he could think of was just talking to her, trying to figure out what was going on. He began to lose weight rapidly, barely eating anything and shutting himself in his room all day. What hurt the most was that he hadn't even SEEN her the past week, at all. This, paired with the lack of a healthy diet, slowed his recovery down, and although he was supposed to be able to start walking again, albeit on crutches, he found that every time he tried, he ended up putting enormous strain on his body, and at one point Caleb had to physically force him to stay in his wheelchair. However, one night, when Ty felt he needed a glass of water, he got fed up of relying on the blasted wheelchair, and got up on his own, falling flat on his face with a soft grunt, clutching at the pain in his chest, knocking his door ajar. Lou and Jack were fast asleep, both exhausted from their individual days, and heard nothing. Amy, however, had just walked in when she heard the noise, and froze as her blood ran cold, realizing where it had come from. Dashing around the corner and down the hall, Amy threw open the door to her mom's old room, and gasped at what she saw, crying out "TY!" in a small voice, barely a whisper. She ducked down, turning him over and saying "Ty, are you alright?" Ty just grunted in response, throwing an arm around Amy's shoulder as she helped him into bed. Once she was sure he was securely on the bed, she said "Are you crazy?! You know you shouldn't be walking yet!" Ty just looked at her, hurt in his eyes, and spat "What do you care?" His words stabbed Amy like a knife, and she just hung her head, and said, in a very quiet voice "I do care Ty..." Laughing hoarsely, Ty replied "You sure have a funny way of showing it." Amy looked at him again, and said "I mean it Ty! I do care!" Ty now stared directly into her eyes, and she noticed how thin he was, how sick he looked, a he said "Then why have been avoiding me? And not just this past week, but every since I woke up?" Amy took a deep breath, before replying "It was my fault you got shot Ty, I couldn't face you, not after what happened. I'm sorry." Before he could even respond, she ran out, hiding her tears from him, and left him there, cursing his inability to walk, to chase after her, to try and make her understand that it wasn't her fault, not at all. Amy cried herself to sleep, trying to calm down, scared of what Ty might have said to her.

The next day Amy ended up sleeping, which was just as well considering she had the day off, and got up around 11:15, sighing as she checked the alarm clock. As she got up to get dressed, however, she found a shirt crumpled in the corner of her closet, which struck her as odd considering she was usually pretty good about laundering her clothes. She pulled the white and blue striped tank top, then opened her eyes wide when she saw the big red stain at the bottom of it. It was the top she'd worn the day Ty had been shot. It hit her then, just how much of an idiot she'd been the past few weeks. She'd been focusing so much on the negative that she'd forgotten the most important fact of all: Ty was alive, and was recovering. Smacking her forehead, she pushed her dark thoughts out, and started to come up with something to say to Ty, some way to apologize for such a terrible friend. Resigning herself, she walked out of her room and into the living room, frowning when she noticed Ty wasn't there. he checked his room, then the kitchen, and walked outside, where she looked around, realizing that it looked as if everyone was out and about. She was about head back inside when she heard a dreadful cry coming from the barn. She tore across the yard, and her skipped a beat when she saw Ty's head lying flat on the ground, his face cut from what had clearly been a bad fall. Kneeling down, she tried to help him up, saying "Jesus Ty, what the hell is your problem?! Are you TRYING to get yourself killed?!" Ty groaned, sitting up slowly and saying "I'm sick of just lying around Amy! I need to get walking again, and soon." Amy looked at him quizzically, and asked "But why? Why do you need to push yourself this hard? What could be so important that you need to be up and about so damn soon?" Ty just looked at the floor, and said "As soon as I can, I'm leaving. For good." His words smacked Amy in the face as if she'd been slapped, and it took her a few moments to respond "But...why?" Ty just huffed, touching the cut on his cheek tenderly before replying "I just need to start over. I care about Jack and all, but there's not a whole lot keeping me here" he added quietly "You've pretty much made that clear." Amy just looked at him for a moment, then decided there was only one thing she could do. She gently tilted his chin, then leaned in and kissed him. At first Ty was shocked, but after a few seconds he returned the kiss, pulling her closer to him, all his emotions over the past 5 weeks pouring out, and hers along with his too. When they finally broke the kiss, Amy looked into his green eyes, and said "I think we need to talk. There's a lot we need to say to each other." Ty nodded, pulling his wheelchair closer and saying "Mind helping me out? That fall really hurt." Amy laughed slightly when she saw the look on his face, and helped him into the wheelchair, walking next to him as they slowly made their way back to the house.

Jack, Lou and Mallory had gone into town for various errands and lunch at Maggie's, and had little hope for Amy and Ty when they got home. "Do you think that they're at least talking to each other now?" Mallory asked, sounding hopeful. "I wouldn't bet on it Mallory. Amy's too scared to talk to Ty and Ty can barely get out of bed" Jack replied somberly, as they pulled into Heartland's driveway. "Well, just remember to keep a positive attitude you two, we need to be encouraging if Ty's going to get better" Lou said, climbing out of the truck. "I don't think it's our encouragement he needs Lou" Mallory said quietly, and silently Lou agreed. However, to everyone's surprise, when they all walked inside, they heard voices coming from the living room, and small laughter along with it. Curious, the trio poked their heads around the corner, and were dumbfounded by what they saw. On the couch, talking face to face, were Amy and Ty. Convening in the kitchen, the group decided that perhaps they should all go and do some barn work, give Amy and Ty the privacy they clearly needed. "I'm so sorry Ty. I should have listened to you, should have stayed in the forest. Actually, there are a lot of things I should've listened to you about..." Amy trailed up, the guilt she had been feeling coming to the surface again. Ty cupped her face with his hand, brushing away a tear with his thumb, and said kindly "You did what anyone would have done in that situation. I'm just glad it was me that got hit. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you." Amy looked at him, and for the first time in a while, she smiled. A genuine, honest smile. Seeing her smile lifted Ty's spirits greatly, and he said "Amy, I'm sorry for all the times I hurt you, I shouldn't have left you that night after the fall finale, and I should've just been more honest with you from the start." Amy once again looked at him, and this time it was her turn to place a reassuring hand on his face, saying "Ty...it's alright. You've taken so many risks for me, from losing your job at Heartland to taking a bullet for me. I...I love you Ty. I always have and I just can't bear the thought of losing you, ever." Ty looked into her gray-blue eyes for a moment, before replying "I love you too Amy. You're the most amazing person I've ever met, and I would never let anything or anyone hurt you." Before either could say anything more, they kissed. A soft, gentle kiss, and once they broke it, they rested their foreheads on one another's. Smiling at each other, Amy said "Next time why don't you just tackle me to the dirt, huh? Might save you a trip to the hospital." Ty laughed slightly, then replied "I'll think about it." Then a mischievous glint appeared in his eye, and he added "Though playing the hero is kinda fun." Amy slapped his shoulder playfully, pulling him in for another kiss, which he gladly returned.

At dinner that night, Jack looked at Amy as she walked in and said "Well well, how nice of you to join us Amy." She just grinned at him, and sat down next to Ty, holding his hand under the table, and action which did not go unnoticed by Jack. He chose not to say anything however, when he saw that Ty was eating again, and how for the first time since the incident, both Ty and Amy were smiling. It may not have been the easiest homecoming, but Jack was sure as hell glad it wasn't as tedious as the first one.

Over the next few weeks Amy spent all her time with Ty, helping him get back on his feet. It was a painful process, and one that put their new relationship to the test. However, they made considerable progress, until one day, as Amy was coming home from school, she saw something that made her blood run cold. Just as she walked into the barn, she saw Ty face down on the ground by one of the stalls, blood seeping out from under his shirt. "GRANDPA!" she called out, rushing over to see if Ty was ok. Jack had been working in the yard when he heard Amy scream, and dropped everything he was doing, dashing to the barn. As soon as he saw Ty he ran into the office and phoned for an ambulance. Amy refused to leave his side, and rode with him to the hospital. Jack just stared at the doors to the ambulance as they closed, turning to face Lou as she came running out, and sighed, saying to himself "Why can't it ever just be a happy ending."

 **SO! Let's talk updates! I'll try to put up at least one chapter a week, sorry if this one stopped a bit suddenly, but hey, that's Heartland for ya! Till next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**_~Joknotor Corner~_**

 ** _Duuuuuuuudes! I am LOVING the positive feedback I am getting! I know I left Chapter Two on a pretty mysterious and dark note, but hey, like I said, that's Heartland for ya! I'm feeling great about the momentum of this story, and the more I hear the feedback the more I want to write! So, here's the next part to this twisted love story! Please Read, Review and ENJOY!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Heartland, or any of its assets._**

 **Chapter Three: Old Endings and New Beginnings**

Ty's injury wasn't as severe as it looked at first glance, but he was still rushed to the hospital for an emergency blood transfusion. According to Dr. Graham, who had taken charge of Ty's case immediately, some form of trauma had forced his wound to reopen, though at first glance he couldn't tell what exactly had happened, and when Ty woke up he would do his best to solve the mystery. Amy, being her usual stubborn self, refused to leave Ty's side, holding back her tears, trying to be strong for him. The only time the young horse whisperer left his bedside was to go home and change, and even then she came back as fast as possible. To be on the safe side, Dr. Graham had once again put Ty into a medically induced coma, to make sure that the wound had time to heal a little before Ty woke up, not wanting the wound to reopen again. Luckily for Amy, it was the weekend, so she was left alone on Saturday and Sunday, though when Monday rolled around she managed to sneak in and spend the day by Ty's bedside, knowing she'd be in trouble for skipping school later. On the third night, Amy fell asleep holding Ty's hand, her head resting on his bed. However, she woke suddenly when she felt a cold hand tracing her jawline softly. jerking up, she saw a pair of emerald eyes staring at her lovingly, and she instantly broke down, burying her face in his shoulder and sobbing, saying in a shaky "Ty, I was so scared. I couldn't bear the thought that after so much you might have left me for good." Ty placed a weak hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair gently and saying "I was pretty scared too. Thought I was gonna...well, let's not even think about it. I'm still here Amy, I'll never leave you. I love you too much to let you go." Amy looked up, and leaned in, kissing him softly, replying "I love you too Ty. So much." Dr. Graham was doing his rounds when he walked in, and smiled wide, saying "Well well well! Glad to see you awake Ty!" As Ty tried to sit up, however, the doctor rushed forward, placing a gentle on Ty's other shoulder "No no, stay put. I don't want to risk that wound reopening again." "Jeez, this is getting so old now" Ty responded, intertwining his and Amy's fingers with his free hand, which helped him relax a bit. "I know buddy, but it's the only way you can heal." Huffing in an exasperated manner, Ty resigned himself to his fate, glancing over at Amy who jut smiled at him. Dr. Graham checked the IVs attached to Ty, then said "Well, now that you ARE awake, do you mind answering some questions for me Ty?" Ty glanced at Amy, not wanting to upset her, as he did remember everything that had happened to him perfectly, and said to her "You aren't going to like what you hear. Will you be ok listening?" Amy nodded, determination in her eyes, and replied "I'm not going anywhere." Sighing, Ty turned back to Dr. Graham, and began his story, saying "I was just visiting my horse, Harley, in the barn. I've been walking on crutches for about a week now, thanks to Amy (at this she smiled), but as I was turning to leave I felt someone grab me from behind, then a sharp blow to my stomach." Amy's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything, deciding to let Ty finish. "Did you see who it was that hit you?" Dr. Graham asked, concerned and angry for his patient. "Yeah...it was Wes, a former ranch hand of Amy's dad. He stole Amy's horse about a month and a half ago, and we managed to get her horse back, but he said I was a dead man. I never took him seriously though." Dr. Graham's eyes darkened, and he pressed "What happened next?" Taking a deep breath, Ty responded "I fell on the ground and he started to kick the hell out of me, but once he saw the blood coming our from under my shirt, he bolted. Last thing I remember was Amy calling for Jack." Dr. Graham touched his chin for a moment, as Amy stared at Ty, dumbfounded, and furious, before he said "Ty, do you mind lifting up your gown to your stomach for me? I just want to check something." Ty shrugged, and began to pull up the hospital gown, causing Amy to blush slightly, turning her head for a moment before giving in to temptation and looking back at Ty, gasping slightly at what she saw; massive purple and black bruises littered his stomach and a few cuts from what was probably his time on the ground along the right side of his body. Grimacing, Dr. Graham said "Go ahead lower your gown Ty. Now then, what else can you tell me about this Wes character? I'd like more information before going to the police."

The next day Jack came and picked up Amy, giving her the 'you-are-in-so-much-shit' look, first having a quick talk with Ty about Wes, his hands balling on to fists at the battered young man's recounting of what happened. Dr. Graham pulled Jack to the side as the old man and Amy were on their way out, and said "I'll keep him here for observation for today, however he'll be able to go home tomorrow, but only so long as he does nothing but R&R when he gets home, understood?" Jack shook Dr. Graham's hand, saying "Don't worry doc, I'll make sure he takes it easy." As they climbed into the truck, Amy chanced a glance at Jack, regretting it dearly when he noticed her and gave her an extremely hard look. Turning his eyes back to the road, Jack said slowly "So, you decided to skip school, huh?" His tone was one of forced calm, as if he were internally battling himself to decide whether or not to yell at his insane granddaughter. Amy cringed, knowing how thin the ice she was on was, and replies cautiously "Um, I was going to go then I just kind of...forgot?" The truck swerved a tad, and Jack clenched his jaw, saying in a low, deadly voice "You just...forgot?" Amy looked down at her lap, and replied "I'm sorry grandpa, I just got so worked up worrying about Ty that I guess I just...I dunno, I just had to be there for him. I couldn't bear to leave him on his own again." Jack pulled the truck over, turning to look at his granddaughter before saying "Listen Amy, I know you're going through a lot right now, what with Ty's injury and all, but it's no excuse to put your life on hold. How do you think Ty would feel if he knew your grades were slipping as much as they have been?" Amy glanced up at her grandfather, guilt and surprise in her eyes "How did you...?" Jack put a hand up to stop her midsentence, and interjected "One of your teachers called me, said you failed your last test and that missing school would only hurt your overall grade even more." Amy returned to looking at her lap, and said in a very quiet voice "I'm sorry grandpa, I'm so sorry." Jack stared at Amy for a few more seconds, then pulled her into a hug, her tears staining his shirt, as she said in a choked voice "I was so scared grandpa, I thought I was going to lose him, and I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving his side." Fighting back tears of his own, Jack said softly "We've all been scared Amy. Ty's the closest thing to family as a person can get, but he'll be ok, you'll see. He didn't go through the hell of a life he's gone through just to let it all go down the drain now, not after trying so hard to turn his life around." They sat together in silence for a few more minutes, and then Jack's phone went off, and he pulled it out, answering "Lou? Yes, I've got her now...no Ty's fine. According to Dr. Graham he'll be able to come home tomorrow...what do you mean? Oh for god's sake! We'll talk about it when I get home." Flipping his phone shut, Jack started the truck, roaring down the road, as if on a mission. Confused by his current demeanor, Amy asked "Grandpa, what did Lou say?" Sighing irritably, he replied "Apparently you're mom's old room got flooded somehow, busted water pipe or something, and so did Lou's. She's gonna have to sleep in the barn until we can fix the problem, since Ty won't be able to get up the stairs." Amy thought for a moment, then asked "What about my room?" Accelerating a little more, Jack said "Luckily your room is fine, so you and Mallory won't have to worry about moving out." Amy's next question would have to wait, however, as they turned into the Heartland driveway.

The water damage was evident, and it appeared that, for the time being, both Marion's old room and Lou's room were both out of commission. Amy and Jack's rooms, however, had been unaffected, and it was this that brought Amy to her question at dinner that night. "Hey grandpa, where's Ty going to sleep? I mean, he can't sleep in the loft, and you said you'd be here at all times to help monitor him throughout his recovery, so you can't exactly go anywhere, but your room's only really big enough for you right?" Starting to pick up on where this conversation was going, Jack turned to look at Amy, ready to fight her on this particular matter "Oh no, don't even think about it Amy. You are NOT bunking with Ty in your room. ALONE." "Grandpa, come on, see reason!" Amy replied, desperate to plead her case "It's the only room left with enough space, and Lou and I can't really share the loft, what if Ty got hurt and you didn't hear him?" Jack raised a warning finger at Amy, then shifted his gaze to Mallory and responded "You already have a bunk mate, don't you Amy?" Mallory piped up "I can sleep in the loft with Lou! I don't mind!" Trying desperately to prove a point, and win this argument, Jack looked to Lou, who merely shrugged. "It's not like they'd be doing anything...intimate, grandpa" Lou said casually, making Amy blush and Jack go red in the face , before quickly adding "I mean, he'll be in a wheelchair, and will probably be sleeping a whole lot, so I don't really see an issue. Besides, Amy's a responsible young woman, right? Isn't that what you told me the other night?" Lou was still sore over a little disagreement she and Jack had had after one of her dates with her mysterious internet boyfriend, aka Peter W. Morris, CEO and owner of Bedford Oil. Jack slumped back into his seat, trying to find any reason he could to prevent the inevitable, but finally he just gave in, and said, in total defeat, "Fine. I'll set up the cot tonight. But if I find out you and Ty do ANYTHING, ANYTHING that would be considered...inappropriate, I'll kick both your butts so far down the road you'll be crapping in Montana."

The next day, Ty awoke to see Amy by his side once again, grinning at him as he sat up, eager to get out of the hospital bed. "Shouldn't you be in school?" Ty asked her, rubbing his eyes. "Lou called and said I was sick, something about projectile vomiting all over my breakfast." Ty cringed, and said, in a teasing voice "Just don't do that on me in the truck, will ya?" Amy giggled, leaning in and kissing him, an action he gladly returned. "So, back to Heartland then?" Ty asked as Amy helped him into the wheelchair, once he had changed into a pair of jeans, a fresh shirt and one of his favorite hoodies. "Yup!" Amy replied happily, grabbing the bag that had his things in and pushing the wheelchair out of the door and into the hallway. "Am I still in your mom's old room then?" he continued, not wanting to end their conversation, as he loved talking to her (she always brightened his spirits). "Um, yeah, about that" Amy said, a sly grin creeping onto her face. "What?" Ty asked, looking back at her and quirking a brow at the look she wore on her face. Leaning over to whisper in her ear, she said "There was an issue with some water pipes, and basically you're stuck bunking with me. I hope you're not disappointed." Ty just grinned broadly, liking this idea very much, saying "Not at all Amy, not at all."

Amy and Ty sat in silence as they drove in Ty's vintage blue truck back to Heartland. It took some serious convincing, but Lou had managed to persuade Jack to let Amy go and get Ty alone, saying it was the first time she'd been happy in a long time, and that they should support her, not stand in her way. Reluctantly Jack agreed, as he had to take care of some things around the ranch with Caleb first. On their way back, Amy suddenly had a brainwave as she looked at the time. It was 3:45, which meant school was out, so Amy glanced over at Ty, and asked "Did you want to stop and grab a late lunch at Maggie's?" Ty looked over at her and smiled "Sure, sounds great." Amy grinned to herself, glad to finally get some alone time with Ty, there was still so much she wanted, NEEDED to say to him. Noticing the massive grin that plastered itself on her face, Ty scooched over towards her, taking her right hand in his and intertwining their fingers, smiling softly himself. Amy didn't say a word, just relishing the feeling of calm that came to her whenever she was close to Ty, whenever she made contact with him in such a loving way. They separated once they pulled into a parking space in front of Maggie's, and Ty slowly managed to make his way to the door, as Amy came around the other side to help him out, handing him crutches, saying "You sure you don't want to use the wheelchair?" Ty shook his head, replying "No, I want to get used to walking again, I've spent WAY too much time sitting down recently."

Once they had found a corner table, Amy and Ty ordered their lunch, Soraya quirking her brow once she noticed who it was sitting at the table. Leaning in she whispered to Amy "Something you wanna tell me?" Smirking at her best friend, Amy replied "I'll tell you later." "You better." Soraya said, grinning. Once she had left, Ty and Amy began to talk, chatting about small things like the ranch, school, what Mallory said this time and other things. Eventually, however, once they had gotten heir food, Amy looked tentatively at Ty, and asked "Um, Ty, can I ask you something?" Looking up from his meal, Ty replied "Of course you can, fire away." My bit her lip, before saying slowly "You mentioned something about a dream the first time you were in the hospital, what was it about? You got really upset when you mentioned it to me the other night in front of the fireplace." Ty's eyes widened for a second, then he took a deep breath, lowering his voice so as not to be heard, wanting to divulge the information ONLY to Amy "I saw what I thought was my funeral." Amy's face went pale, and she just looked at Ty, unable to find the words to try and console him, as he continued "Soraya and Ashley were talking about how you'd be better off without me, how...how Caleb was the right guy for you. Nobody even noticed me until your dad looked at me, told me to leave to...to stop holding you back." Tears started to form in Amy's eyes, but all she could manage to do was weakly say "Ty..." Closing his eyes as if in pain, he finished "Everything kinda went black when I saw you Caleb about to...about to kiss." Amy got up from where she was sitting, coming around the table and hugging him tightly, saying into his shoulder "I love you Ty. So much. Caleb was never anything more than a coping mechanism for when you were gone. I would never be with him, ever." Ty pulled her closer, saying "I love you too Amy. The thought of hurting you, and the knowledge that I did hurt you, kills me, I'm so sorry." They just hugged each other for a few more minutes, before a voice behind them said "AHEM!" making them both jump. Amy whirled around to see Jack standing there, a 'what-in-the-hell-are-you-doing-here' look on his face. Caleb was at the bar, ordering 2 coffees, choosing not to look over at the trio, not wanting to be part of the potentially negative outcome of said interaction between his boss and the teenage pair. "Oh, uh, grandpa! We were just getting some lunch, we were kind of hungry" Amy started, fearing slightly for her life. Before he could continue, however, Ty looked out the window and saw it: Wes' truck. His jaw dropped, and he said, in a very serious tone, pointing out of the window "Jack. Look." Amy and Jack turned to look at where he was pointing, and their blood went cold. Caleb glanced out the window too, confused, and asked "What is it?" "It's Wes' truck" Amy answered, her blood boiling at the sight of it. The puzzle pieces clicked into place, and he stood up, moving towards the door, as Jack said to Soraya "Call the police, and pray they get here before I get my hands on Wes." Ty staggered to his feet, grabbing his crutches, and saying to Amy "Come on, let's go." Amy nodded, looking at Soraya who merely replied "Go, I'll call the police. Pay me later." Nodding, Amy rushed to help Ty out of the door. They all looked around, searching for the man that had nearly killed Ty, when Amy pointed to a man coming out of a nearby shop, and said "There he is!" Caleb took off running, fury burning in him like a bonfire, tackling Wes just as he spotted the charging rodeo-hopeful. At first he tried to resist, but Caleb was too quick, and before long Jack was pulling the younger man off of Wes, not wanting Caleb to kill the man. Ty hobbled over, Amy at his side, and looked at Wes, saying "Not so tough now, are ya?"

The police eventually came and took Wes away, with Jack, Amy, Ty and Caleb all saying that he fell down some steps, and that's why his face had been rearranged so thoroughly. Jack sighed, and said to the three teens "Well, I think that's just about as much excitement as I can take for one day. Amy, I'll cover your tab, just get Ty home before anything else happens." Amy nodded, pulling Ty towards his truck. As soon as they were in, however, Ty clutched at his chest, breathing in and out slowly, almost forcefully. "Are you okay?" Amy asked, putting a hand on Ty's back, concern in her eyes. "Yeah, I think so. Just a lot of movement too quick. Guess I should probably take it easy, huh?" he replied, grinning sheepishly at her. Giggling a little, Amy leaning in and kissed him, saying "I guess so. Might help a little bit." They drove back to Heartland in silence, their hands clasped together tightly, until they got about 10 minutes away, and Amy broke the silence by saying "I'm sorry about trying to make you jealous about Caleb, I was just so mad at you when you came back. I never meant to make you feel that way. I can't imagine what it would be like to have those kind of dreams without being able to wake up." Ty looked at her for a moment, then said "I never finished my story Amy. After the darkness swallowed me up, I felt alone and trapped, like I had died and was just doomed to sit there and wallow for the rest of eternity. Then a light brought me back from the edge, and there was someone there, waiting for me." Amy frowned, and looked at Ty for a moment, returning her gaze to the road before responding "Who?" Ty sighed, and said "Your mom." Amy slammed on the brakes, swerving to the side of the road, throwing them both forward then slam back against the car seat, turning to him and practically yelling "What?!" Ty took a deep breath, trying not to have a heart attack on top of everything else he had been through, saying "Jesus Amy, take it easy." Amy, however, was far too interested now to let the matter drop "You saw MY mom?!" Sighing, Ty realized he wasn't going to be able to just worm his way out of this one, and said "Yes, Amy, your mom. She was riding Pegasus, and helped me find my way to the light, and what was at the end of it, telling me we had a lot to talk about. That's about all I can remember though. It felt so real, like it was actually happening. I know it sounds crazy, but that's honestly what I saw." Amy tried to process this new information, asking herself a million questions, finally settling on one in particular "What was at the end of the light?" Ty smiled, and looked at her with his piercing green eyes, replying "You." Amy blushed, turning her eyes away "Me?" Ty reached over and cupped the side of her face, turning her head back to face his "You." He leaned in and kissed her, trying to communicate the feelings he had that words alone could not. They remained locked for several moments, then broke the kiss, resting their foreheads together, smiling at one another. "We should probably get home before Jack does Amy, or we'll really be in trouble." She laughed, leaning back and pulling back onto the road, towards home.

Lou was positively livid when she heard about Wes at dinner that night (she had noticed Caleb's bruised knuckles and hadn't much liked the answer she'd gotten). "I can't BELIEVE he had the nerve to show his face in town after what he did! I mean, for god's sake, he almost killed Ty-!" She stopped in her tracks once she realized what she had said, and chanced a glance at Amy, whose head was hung low, as was Ty's. Having lost their appetites, the pair excused themselves, saying something about doing night check. When Mallory was about to pipe up, Caleb nudged her in the side, having grown rather fond of Ty as a friend, certainly since he had ridden that bull. Once in the barn, Ty said "You okay Amy?" She was busy putting feed in buckets, and had her back to him, but even so he could hear the tears in her voice "I'm fine." Ty came closer, putting hand on her shoulder, and said "Amy." Spinning on her heels, Amy turned to face Ty, burying her head in his chest and saying "She's right Ty, you almost died. Twice. I don't know if I can go through that again." Ty gently stroked the back of her had, rubbing small circles on her back, and said soothingly "I'm right here Amy. I'm not going to abandon you, and I sure as hell don't plan on dying anytime soon." She looked up at him, and blue met green as they kissed once again, a long, lingering kiss that ended only when they needed to come up for air. They eventually made their way back to the house, content with the state of things, and the fact that, at last, they finally had each other.

 **Sorry for longer update all! Work had me busy, but I am working on Chapter Four as I speak! Well, not really, cuz I'm typing this, but whatever! PLEASE REVIEW! It makes me happy! Till next time!  
P.S: I am working on another Heartland fic, one based off of how -I- thought Season One should have ended. PEACE!**


	4. Chapter 4

**_~Joknotor Corner~_**

 ** _Heyo! Sorry for the wait, had a few days of mucho writer's block, but now I'm back in black! (Get it? Cuz, the text is black...never mind) ANYWAY! Thanks for the great feedback, it really does help motivate me to write more! So, as always, read, review and ENJOY!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Heartland, or any of its assets._**

 **Chapter Four: Road to Recovery**

Dinner that night was been therapeutic for Ty, as everyone was there to welcome him home; Jack, Lou, Lisa, Caleb, Tim, Mallory and, of course, Amy. The conversation varied from Ty's announcement that he was going to try and pick up where he left off with his GED, to the awkward discussion about Lou's internet boyfriend, who turned out to be P.W. Morris, the CEO of Bedford Oil (much to Jack and Tim's chagrin). Most of the dinner, Ty and Amy held hands under the table, occasionally looking over at each other and smiling. Mallory noticed this, and looked at Caleb, whispering "You'd think they could be less obvious. They either hate each other and steer clear or they love each other and attach at the hip." Caleb merely nodded, still feeling defeated at his failure to woo Amy, though he had to admit he was glad he had lost to Ty, and not some stranger. After dinner, Caleb offered to do night check, dragging Mallory along by the collar, while Lou headed out to the barn office to sort out some business, and Jack turned in early for the night. Ty and Amy elected to sit on the couch in front of the fireplace. They sat in silence, until Amy piped up, saying "This is what I wanted all along, y'know. Just you and me. Together." Ty smiled, and said "Only took us what, a year or so?" They both laughed, and Amy leaned her head on Ty's shoulder, intertwining their fingers. "I left you five months ago to go live with my scumbag father. It was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I love you so much Amy. I'm sorry." Amy looked at him, shocked at his sudden confession, and replied "You wanted to give him another chance Ty, I get it. I really do. It just hurt because I love you just as much, and the thought that I had lost you forever was eating me alive." Ty gently cupped the side of her face, and kissed her softly, leaning his forehead on hers, saying "You haven't lost me Amy. You never could. I'd do anything for you." Amy smiled again, and said "I know. And I love you for it." Ty grinned in response, saying "You know, I'm gonna take you on real date as soon as I can move without feeling like I've been shot...!" They looked at each other. The shooting wasn't something they had really talked about, but Amy was too damn happy Ty had just promised her a date to care too much, and just grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him into another kiss, and saying "Well, I have to get up early for school, so I'm going to go to bed." Ty nodded to her, reaching over and grabbing his crutches, saying "I gotta grab some stuff out of your mom's old room, hopefully the drawers didn't get soaked too. After that I guess I'll head off too." Amy gave him a peck on the cheek, and left to get ready for bed.

After some difficulty changing (those damn crutches), Ty finally hobbled into Amy's room, a tight feeling in his chest. It was only his second or third time entering, and was a little nervous. Amy was at her desk, brushing her hair, and whirled round, smiling at him, saying "I'll take cot Ty, the bed's more comfortable." Ty shook his head, replying "No, you need your rest for school. Besides, the cot's not so bad." Amy was about to argue but was cut short when Ty plopped down on the cot. Resigning herself to the state of things, Amy flopped onto her bed, face buried in a pillow, causing Ty to snicker. She glanced over at him, and shot him a 'quiet-you-damn-cripple' stare before replanting her face firmly into her pillow. She looked up when she felt him touch her hand gently, and her eyes widened momentarily as he leaned in and kissed her, saying "Good night Amy." She smiled sheepishly, and replied "Good night Ty."

The next morning, Amy was woken by her alarm clock, although when she looked at the time she just about had a heart attack. Her bus would be waiting at the end of the driveway in less than twenty minutes, and she wasn't even out of bed yet. Dashing over to her wardrobe, Amy pulled out a pair of jeans and a button down plaid shirt, unaware that Ty had woken already, and was gaping, blushing as she began to change. After she was done, she rushed out and brushed her teeth, snagging a piece of toast from Lou as she headed out the door, leaving Ty in her room, stunned and in desperate need of a cold shower.

Ms. Addams, Amy's science teacher, had it in for the horse whisperer that day. Amy had once again skipped the after school study sessions, and had even had the nerve to miss class the day before as well. With this in mind, Ms. Addams walked up to Amy, and said, in a cold voice "Ms. Fleming, so nice of you to join us. Are you prepared for today's pop quiz?" Amy's eyes went wide, and she stuttered "Er, um, I, uh..." "You were studying while you were out sick yesterday, weren't you?" Ms. Addams pressed, placing a test down on Amy's desk. Amy looked at the test and then her teacher, gulping audibly before starting what was sure to be a disaster in the making.

Ty spent much of the day sitting alone on the couch, watching tv, trying to erase the image of Amy's perfect, smooth skin and her amazing curves from his mind, failing miserably, hoping to avoid Jack simply because of how flushed and flustered he felt. He flipped through a motorcycle magazine Caleb had bought for him in town that morning, trying desperately to take his mind off of that morning, but all he could see were images of him atop the motorcycles, with Amy riding behind him, her body pressed against his. Slapping himself in the face, he pushed himself into the wheelchair beside him, wheeling into the kitchen for a drink of water. Lou spotted his spaced-out face, and quirked a brow, saying "Everything okay Ty? You look a million miles away." Ty nearly jumped out of his skin, looking at Lou and blushing furiously, quickly grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge and turning his chair around like a pro, replying "Um, nothing Lou! Just, uh, not feeling too good. Think I'll go lie down!" Lou wondered whether or not she should press the matter for a moment, as she was, at this point, VERY suspicious, but just as she was about to follow him, her phone went off, and she lost all other thoughts when she saw it was Peter.

Amy sat with her head against the back of the seat in front of her during the bus ride home, dreading the conversation she was inevitably going to have with her grandfather later on, especially since Ms. Addams had promised to call home when she saw how poorly Amy had done on her pop quiz. Soraya tried to cheer her best friend up, saying "Come on Amy, at least Ty's home now, and now that you two are officially a 'thing' doesn't that mean you guys can sit and just hang out without sitting like 40 meters apart?" Amy smiled softly "Yeah, I love being in his arms." "Well then" Soraya continued, placing a hand on Amy's back "Just sit with him and chill, it'll help you relax." Amy smiled wearily at Soraya, and replied "Thanks Soraya. You're right, as usual." Soraya shot Amy a thumbs up, moving aside so the blonde could get off the bus. As Amy walked down the driveway she noticed Lisa's car in the driveway, but Jack's truck missing. Slightly relieved, Amy walked into the house and smiled at Lou, opening the fridge and saying "Heya!" Lou looked up and smiled back, replying "Hey you, how was school?" Shuddering, Amy responded "Ugh, don't ask." Cringing, Lou said "Gotcha." "Hey" Amy said as she was walking out of the kitchen "Have you seen Ty?" "He's taking a nap in your room I believe. Said he wasn't feeling good." Amy frowned slightly, and said "Thanks Lou. I'll go check on him."

Ty was lying down on his cot, trying to think of something other than Amy. He was doing alright, until Amy walked in that is. Blushing furiously, Ty rolled over, trying not to look at her. Amy, however, caught a look at his red face and, her features etched with concern, walked over to him, saying "Ty?" He jumped when he felt her hand on his shoulder, whirling round only to stop dead when he realized how close she was to him, how close her chest was to his face. He remained frozen in place, sweating a little when she put her hand to his forehead. "You don't feel warm. What's wrong?" Ty looked at the nearest wall, and replied "Um, I'm not sure how to say this..." Ty gulped, trying his best to find the words he needed. Amy frowned, and said "Just tell me Ty, I need to know you trust me." Sighing, Ty said "Well...um...maybe it would be best if you, uh, got dressed in the bathroom in the morning..." Ty blushed even further, and a scarlet tint appeared on Amy's cheeks as well as slow comprehension dawned on her. Ty expected her to bolt, as he was sure she was as embarrassed as he was, but he quickly looked at her when she merely replied "So...you saw...?" Ty looked at her face, saying "Yeah. I'm sor-!" Amy shut him up with her next question "Did you...like...what you saw?" If Ty was blushing before, it was nothing compared to his current red face. He opened and closed his mouth several times, almost imitating a goldfish before responding "Um...yeah, actually. I, uh, I did." Amy turned her face away, her thoughts racing a mile a second, both embarrassed that he had seen her in her undergarments yet strangely pleased that he had appreciated her figure. "Well...I suppose it's only fair. I mean, I've seen you shirtless plenty of times, and even that one time...never mind, I'm being weird." Ty placed a hand over hers, and said "Well I guess that makes us even, huh?" Amy giggled, and replied "Yeah, I guess it does. Although next time, just turn your head away, alright?" Ty grinned, feeling better now that he had actually talked to Amy about what had happened, as opposed to his usual habit of bottling stuff up, and then letting everything get blown out of proportion when his feelings finally came to the surface. "So...how was your day?" Ty asked, trying to change the subject. However, upon seeing the look on Amy's face, his brow furrowed, and he said "Hey, what's the matter?" Amy sighed heavily, saying in response "Where do I start?"

Dinner was disturbingly quiet that night, and Amy had a good idea as to why as she glanced at Jack, who was giving her the 'you-are-so-gonna-get-it' look. Ty was also nervous, but not because of Jack, but because of Lou, and the look she kept giving him, the classic 'I-know-you-have-a-secret' stare, her gaze occasionally falling onto Amy then back onto Ty. When dinner finished, Lisa made a quick excuse to leave, kissing Jack on the cheek and nodding sympathetically to Amy, as Ty piped up that he was going to go check on Harley. When Amy tried to leave by saying she needed to do night check, Lou piped up and said "No worries Amy, I'll do it. Besides, I think you and grandpa need to talk." Amy looked at her grandfather, who was giving her a death stare at that point, and looked down at her lap, bracing herself for what was going to come next.

Ty was petting his horse gently on the nose when Lou walked into the barn, starting night check. She looked over at Ty after a few minutes of awkward silence, and said "So, you seem to be feeling better." Ty flinched, thinking rapidly of a way to talk himself out of this conversation "Uh, yeah, guess I was just a little tired was all. Nothing a little nap couldn't fix." "Oh really" Lou began "Because I could've sworn you and Amy were sick when you came out of her room for dinner, your faces were really flushed. I hope you and her weren't getting...frisky...with each other." Ty fell out of his chair, cursing slightly as he fell on his side, Lou rushing over to help him back on. "O-of course not L-Lou, why would you think that?" Lou gave him the 'out-with-it' glare, and Ty sighed "Ok, just promise you'll keep this to yourself." Lou nodded, and Ty told her what had happened. Once he had finished, Lou just looked at him with a blank expression, before bursting into laughter. "You saw her...and she saw you..and you...and she...eheheheheheh!" Lou carried on, collapsing in a fit of giggles, leaving a very perturbed Ty to glare at her, wanting nothing more than to run her over with his wheelchair.

The next few weeks were rough for Ty, but slowly and surely he recovered, bit by bit, still needing crutches and supervision, but remarkably better overall. his bond with Amy had improved too, and they spent every moment they could together, working with the horses and going around town in Ty's truck. His road to recovery was still a long one, but he felt comforted knowing he had Amy at his side. However, their truest test had yet to come, and only time could tell if thy were strong enough to overcome it together.

 **OK! SO! I know this is a rather short chapter, but I promise the next one will be awesome! I'll try to update it within the next week or so, but I want to make sure the chapter is top notch before I post it! Till next time!**


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